Team Johnston: July 2012

Payton's Newborn Pictures

0 comments Posted by Miranda at 7/14/2012 11:08:00 AM

When Payton was 2-weeks old, our friend, Taylor Jackson of Barefeet Photography took newborn pictures. We are so pleased with them! Thanks Taylor!!

Cow Appreciation Day!!

0 comments Posted by Miranda at 7/14/2012 11:01:00 AM

Friday was "Cow Appreciation Day" at Chick-fil-a, so of course we had to participate!

The boys loved helping tape spots to their t-shirts...

We all spotted up for our lunch!

As a car ride was involved, Payton did not enjoy herself until she received her milk. :-)

Ranger and Callen were quite excited!

The boys were thrilled to see the cow and give her high fives!

We look forward to celebrating again next year!

Smith Reunion 2012

0 comments Posted by Miranda at 7/14/2012 08:35:00 AM

Last weekend we traveled to Coyote Ranch Resort outside Wichita Falls for our annual Smith Family Reunion. We had such a great time!!

We knew there was a fishing hole there, so a few days before, Chad bought the boys some new fishing poles and practiced with them in the back yard. Ranger was soooo excited!

And with a car fully loaded, we were off!!

We left at naptime, and for a glorious 40 minutes, all 3 kids were actually asleep at the same time! Even Payton girl, who HATES the car!

But all was peaceful when she was chilling in her nap taco in our cabin!

For most of the family, this was their first time meeting Payton. She was sweet most of the time and let people hold her. Here she is smiling at Mindy. (I'm also quite sure she spit up on her as well!)

Loving some time with Grandmother and Grandad...

Saturday morning, everyone went fishing! Ranger was absolutely thrilled and couldn't wait. Callen was a bit too young for it, so he and I didn't stay very long. Thankfully my cousins took some great pictures of Chad and Ranger. :-)

Ranger's first fish!!!

Payton enjoyed the quiet cabin for most of her naps, but we did have to create a little cocoon for her to keep the flies away.

There was also a little pool with a water slide. The boys had a blast! Due to Payton's eating and napping, she and I never made it down there, but again...my cousins took some great pictures! Everyone was quite impressed with our boys swimming skills.

Here is a picture of all the great-grandchildren, minus 4. Payton was napping, and Josh and Amber's 3 youngest stayed home this year. But, there are 18 total great-grandkids! We are so blessed!

But, as with any weekend away, our boys were exhausted. Whereas Ranger will take his overtiredness and become crazy-boy, Callen simply passed out around 5:00pm on his bean bag watching VeggieTales! So sweet!

We had such a wonderful time! We can't wait for next year!

Payton Elizabeth is 2 Months Old!

0 comments Posted by Miranda at 7/14/2012 07:49:00 AM

Our sweet Payton Elizabeth is 2 months old! She is growing much more quickly than I would like, and I am trying to enjoy every minute...even the fussy ones. ;-)

Callen wanted to be part of the picture taking, but it appears he didn't really want to hold her. Hehe...

Here are Payton's stats from her 2 month check-up:

Weight: 8 lbs, 4 oz (5th%)

Height: 20.8 in (5-10th%)

Head: 15 in (50th%)

She's growing into such a big girl!! Payton is filling out quite nicely!

Payton has made some really positive changes in the past month. She has many moments of being content now, and will lay and play in on her jungle mat or in her pack-in-play all throughout the day. But, she will absolutely let you know if she has been awake too long. She takes 3-4 naps a day, with the afternoon one usually the longest. She is still a great little nurser and has no problem with the occasional bottle...thank goodness!

Bedtime is still a little all over the place, but she is usually asleep between 8:00- 9:30pm. Then she wakes up between 1:00 - 3:00am to eat and again between 5:00 - 7:00am. She almost always goes right back to sleep after that morning feeding and typically starts her day between 7:00 - 9:00am. I really do find it much easier to just follow her signals and have a loose routine than try and stick to a rigid schedule.

My yummy girl...

Payton certainly still has her fussy moments, and can be uncomfortable in the evenings, but she is so much better than a month ago. My being off of dairy has helped tremendously!

The girl loves her baths, and calms down pretty immediately when she is put in her little tub. She gets mad when I take her out, but during the bath she is completely relaxed. She also calms almost instantly to the sound of the hair dryer and the vacuum!

One very random quirk of Payton's is her incredibly stinky hands! I'm serious...they stink! I've read that it is not uncommon, but I truly hope she grows out of it!

And, my most favorite accomplishment of the past few weeks....SMILES!!! She melts my heart with her sweet grin, and I love seeing it all throughout the day.

We love, love, love our Payton girl!!

Lately...

0 comments Posted by Miranda at 7/02/2012 04:23:00 PM

Just a picture post for me!

Sweet Payton girl sleeping in Daddy's arms one evening. She's so sweet!!

My handsome boys enjoying some back yard time early one morning before it was too hot to enjoy it.

Three weeks ago we went to the Frisco Farmers Market for some delicious, fresh, local produce. We bought some great fruits and veggies, and we all enjoyed the outing! Nonnie went with us too!

Ranger loved getting to pick out a few yummies of his own...

And Payton loved her cozy sling time. :-)

A few weeks ago we also celebrated Addy's birthday. The boys love any birthday celebration!

The boys are also enrolled in swim lessons. We go Monday - Thursday, and the boys seem to be doing really well! This should be Ranger's last week, with Callen finishing up next week.

The boys love helping us clean all of our produce too. I love child labor!

Our church has events for preschool kids, and we joined in one Friday for pizza and VeggieTales at the building. The boys loved it, and Payton didn't mind the drive too terribly.

My 2 sweethearts

Daddy also did some working out with the boys one evening, including teaching them how to do push ups. Callen seemed to miss the "up" part of the lesson. :-)